


Out Of The Cold

by Boney_M



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-16
Updated: 2017-09-16
Packaged: 2018-12-30 13:37:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12109872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Boney_M/pseuds/Boney_M
Summary: With a cold snap rapidly approaching, a couple of street kids are in dire straits until a familiar face comes to them with an offer of shelter.





	Out Of The Cold

**Author's Note:**

> Rosie and Melody belong to https://zhanbao.tumblr.com/

Rosie started as Melody's warning kick to the back of her head woke her, and she immediately saw the reason through bleary eyes - a big blob of ZPD blue coming towards her through the gloom of the alley, barely illuminated by a streetlight on an adjoining road. She felt a flash of despair at the thought of leaving behind the precious blankets that the two of them had managed to scrounge, but she had no choice. But as she prepared to run for it, the intruder to her alley came into focus, and the red on top of the blue made her relax again. She sat upright, wincing as the blankets fell off her torso and the cold immediately leapt upon her, but she wasn't going to stay curled up in blankets in front of Nick. She didn't want to give him any more of a reason to be on her and Melody's case.

"Hey, kiddo." His voice was soft and warm as he approached, so different to what she expected from someone wearing that uniform. "How you two doing?"

"We're fine," was her automatic reply. Nick may be alright for a cop, but he was still a cop, she reminded herself. She felt Melody cling tighter to her fur at the back of her neck, where she'd been sleeping - she didn't extend the tiny sliver of trust to Nick that Rosie did.

"Uh huh," Nick said flatly as he squatted down alongside her, watching her shiver. Rosie did her best to suppress her shakes, but refused to huddle back down into the blankets. That'd be showing weakness. "So you'll be alright to ride this weather out, then? No problems with the cold?"

"Nope. We'll be okay."

"Mmm. Not sure if you get the weather report here, but this is just the first and gentlest night of a week of incoming bad weather in this district. And the snow starts tomorrow."

Rosie winced. She had heard something like that, but didn't realize it'd be that bad. "It won't be our first blizzard."

"I checked. It'll be the worst in your lifetime." 

The reference to her age didn't slip by her, and Rosie bristled. "Then we'll cross districts. Won't be snowing in Sahara Square, or the Rainforest District."

"I'll pretend I didn't just hear a youth planning to cross districts without a guardian. You ever spent time in either of those? I know that foxes don't do well in the humidity of the Rainforest District, and the sand in Sahara Square can be brutal."

Rosie just glared at Nick stonily. "We're not going into foster homes."

"I know."

"Or a shelter."

"I know."

"Then what's your point, Officer?" The word had venom in it, and Nick was unable to suppress a wince. Rosie wasn't the only one that'd taken it personally when he'd joined the ZPD, but it hurt more than most of them did.

He sighed, and sat back against one wall of the alley, barely suppressing a shudder as cold immediately shot through the concrete and into his rear. He took the badge from it's position pinned to his breast, considered it for a moment, then popped it into a pocket. "Look, this isn't from an officer to a homeless minor, or even from one fox to another. This is from me, Nick Wilde, to my friend Rosie. We are still friends, aren't we?"

His expression was pleading, and Rosie felt her heart melt and relented almost instantly. "Okay, yeah, we're friends. God, you're even better at that than I remembered."

"Learned a thing or two about that from my partner. So from one friend to another: I'm worried about you. This isn't weather that's just miserable to be in for a day or two, this is weather that mammals die in. And it'd break my heart if you were one of them. So just while the weather is so shitty, come stay at my place. Bed's yours if you want it, otherwise you can have the couch, and I'll sleep on whichever one you don't. Hell, if you want you can have the whole place to yourself and I'll find somewhere else to crash. Just don't spend this coming week out in the open, please."

The whole time he was speaking, he was staring into Rosie's eyes, and she squirmed away from his gaze towards the end. She was just about to surrender, when-

"Alright, that's enough!" came a sudden voice, and Melody finally emerged from her hiding place in Rosie's collar. She stood atop Rosie's shoulder, bringing herself to her full height to stare down Nick, but addressed Rosie. "I know you got a soft spot for this guy because of some friggin' fox solidarity thing, but he's a hustler AND a cop! You can't trust him just because he bats his eyes at you!"

"Good to see you too, Melody." The mouse huffed, and Nick couldn't suppress a smile. "Glad you two are still looking out for each other. Okay, tell you what-" he reached down with one paw and Melody immediately stiffened, but relaxed as he went for his pocket instead of his holster. He took out his wallet, skimmed through it, and pulled out his driver's license, a bank card, and his health insurance card. Enough, Rosie knew, to act as sufficient proof of ID to some of the less careful banks and credit unions. "I know you two could cause some havoc with these. If I'm screwing with you, take out some credit cards in my name. Go Wilde." Twin groans at his pun caused him to grin, and he held out the license to Rosie who hesitated only a moment before snatching it, then passed it to Melody. Melody inspected in closely, then, reluctantly, nodded, before scurrying down the back of Rosie's dress to tuck it away in one of the many pockets that were hidden under it's raggedy exterior.

Nick lifted himself to his feet, relieved to get away from the cold surface. "We got a deal? I mean, honestly, my place might make your alley look good, but at least it's warm."

Rosie couldn't help but giggle at that, a joyful little tinkling sound that seemed out of place in the cold, dark alley. "Okay. We've got a deal. But so help me, if Melody's right and you're screwing with us..."

"I wouldn't do that. Not to you. Not even for your own good."

Rosie searched Nick's face for any sign of deception, but found none. "Okay."

Nick smiled, a genuinely happy expression instead of the mask of a grin he used as a shield. "Great. The address is on the license. You have any trouble getting there..." He took a pen and a business card from his pocket - Nicholas Wilde, ZPD, with an embossed shield and everything - and scribbled a number on it before handing it over. "That's my private line. Burner phone I picked up at a hole-in-the-wall newsagent and pay cash to recharge, just in case you're feeling paranoid. You need help, give me a call, night or day."

Rosie took the card and peered suspiciously at it, a potent symbol of everything she considered the enemy - then looked up at Nick, and relaxed. He was Nick, she told herself. And even if she was wrong about trusting him, Melody - who had tucked herself back out of sight in her collar - would yank her out of the fire. She always did.

"Maybe we'll be there tonight, some time," she said flippantly. "Ten? Midnight? Whenever. Don't wait up."

Nick just smiled, and took the badge back out of his pocket, buffing it on his sleeve before pinning it back on. He doffed an imaginary cap to her. "Y'all stay out of trouble, y'hear?"

To the sound of more of Rosie's giggles, he turned and left the alley, a smile on his face.

\---

"You drive, Carrots," Nick said to his waiting partner as he reached the parked patrol car. "I seem to have misplaced my license."

"Damn it," Judy sighed, rolling her eyes at him. "You really going to stick your neck out for those two?"

"Well, I would, but in this case I haven't."

"Oh?" was the reply as Judy climbed into the driver's seat.

"Got cybercrime to put a trace on all of my accounts. If they do decide to take a swing at my credit rating, I'll run 'em in for identity theft."

"But won't they-"

"Oh, yeah. That'd really put me on their shit list. But if burning that bridge is the only way to keep them warm, I'll do it in a heartbeat. I don't think it'll come to that, though." Nick looked out the window at the alley as the car pulled out into the street. "If they're the same kids I remember, then they won't take the first shot unless I give them a reason. And I'm not going to unless they make me."

"So instead, you'll be hosting a jailbait sleepover for a couple of homeless teens at your off-the-books residence," Judy noted dryly. "Gee, how could that possibly come back to haunt you."

Nick smiled sheepishly. "Okay, it's not the most foolproof plan, but it's the least bad option. I'm not going to let those two freeze themselves to death."

\---

That evening was tense for Nick. He spent most of it blankly watching TV with the sound turned down, turning towards the door every time he heard foorsteps and then sagging with disappointment every time they reached his door and kept walking. He really hoped the girls did take him up on his offer - otherwise, there was nothing he could do to spare them from the coming blizzard. Not without making enemies of them.

He sighed. He wished he could say their concerns were baseless, but he knew they weren't. Exaggerated, definitely, but not baseless. Zootopia's orphanages and foster homes were rough on pred kids, especially after Lionheart's fall from grace. And on top of that, the two of them would definitely be split up - logistical concerns alone would see Melody in the Little Rodentia orphanage, and apart from that, they'd be kept apart to spare them both from each other's 'criminal influence'.

And that was the best case scenario. If they got run in for pickpocketing or tresspassing or any one of a dozen possible vagrancy charges...

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a key turning in the lock of the front door. Hope flared in him. Judy had a key, but she'd call ahead if she was coming over, so it had to be-

He turned to the entrance, and his eyes met a set of muted blue ones peering suspiciously through the barely-opened door at him.

**Author's Note:**

> Might end up writing more of this but for now it works well as a oneshot.
> 
> If you've noticed a theme, it's not your imagination. I just really like characters being warm when it's cold outside. It's cozy.


End file.
